Alessia Tamasoszki, a Senior Paralegal at Payne Hicks Beach LLP, came to us in 2018 as a Sixth Form student. After hearing about the Employability Programme from a friend, Alessia met Dershe and they began discussing Alessia’s career aspirations. Like many young people, Alessia was unsure on which career path to pursue. She enjoyed studying the Humanities, in particular History, Politics, and English, and was interested in exploring a possible career in law.
The saying goes “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”, but for many young people like Alessia the problem is not a lack of talent, but a lack of access. Access to the connections a new entrant needs to learn more about a career or gain relevant work experience to test the waters. The Employability Programme bridges that gap by connecting young people to professionals and real-world experience.
Dershe Sha, our award-winning Lead Employability Worker, offers a plethora of vital support, from CV and interview advice to support with career development through drop-in sessions hosted twice a week within our Employability Programme at Coram’s Fields Youth Centre.
Our Programme offers the opportunity to learn more about career options and offer valuable skills and experience. For Alessia, the programme led her to being matched with a mentor for the next two years – a qualified solicitor. With her mentor as a guide, Alessia could gain a real insight into what a career as a solicitor truly involves, with her mentor offering advice as well as connections to other professionals in the field.
Coram’s Fields maintains a number of partnerships with local organisations enabling us to provide young people with access to training, mentorships, and entry-level work.
Prior to even starting university, Alessia was introduced to our valued and longtime Connecting Futures member Payne Hicks Beach LLP a leading boutique London law firm. Alongside a small cohort of young people, Alessia completed her work experience at their offices, as part of the Law Mentorship Scheme. She met their team, observed their work, and gained hands-on experience from reviewing partnership agreements and discussing legal processes with qualified professionals.
Such experience is highly rewarding as it shows the various routes into a profession and for Alessia, this was just the turning point she needed to feel confident in her own career journey. Alessia was recently promoted to Senior Paralegal at Payne Hicks Beach. Now situated within the Citizenship & Immigration Department, Alessia assists on visa applications and settlement requests. She first found interest in immigration law while studying at Queen Mary University of London, where she volunteered as a Support Team member and a Student Adviser at the pro bono Legal Advice Centre. Alongside her work at Payne Hicks LLP, Alessia is also completing an LLM (Master of Laws) degree with BPP University.
The Employability Programme is an integral part of our support services for our young people and along with our corporate partners, we can equip the next generation to aim high and dream big.
“I remain extremely grateful to Coram’s Fields and the Employability Programme for connecting me with such an inspiring firm. I’m surrounded by supportive, knowledgeable professionals and continue to learn and grow through the training and opportunities provided to me.”
Are you an organisation who would like to inspire our young people to achieve their potential? Get in touch with us at fundraising@coramsfields.org.uk or visit our dedicated Corporate Volunteering page to find out about how your organisation could get involved in mentoring and much more.
